The sun pounded against him with unrelenting force and he wasn’t quite sure how anyone could live out in this environment. The wind did very little to ease the heat as it was just a warm stream of air mixed with particles of sand. The sand underneath his shoes making the trek through the desert much harder than it needed to be. Taking one step forward and sliding back several inches making the steps almost useless as he scaled the dunes. In the distance he could see the large stone gates of Suna and off to his right he could see in the distance a dip in the sand where water seemed to be gathering and a building of sorts next to it. That seemed like the better place to go to anyways. He was thirsty like a fish out of water having traveled from Kiri to Taki and now to Suna where the environment was extremely different than the ones he had been in before. He makes his way down the sand dune finding it much easier to travel down than up. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the forearm of his jacket wishing at this point he had different clothes rather than an all-black attire. Still he wouldn’t let that bother him as he continued onward coming closer to the small oasis and the large building with every step. After a few more minutes he was practically there as he looked at the large building and to the water.

As he approached the water he looked around seeing nobody around as of yet. He leaned down next to the water and cupped his hands to catch some of it before bringing it to his mouth to drink. It was refreshing and much needed. He wiped some of the water across his face and continued to drink before he laid back against a tree making sure to sit in the shade. He had sent a letter out ahead of him to someone he had met in Taki having promised to train her. That wasn’t his only desire however; he found her extremely attractive and had enjoyed the presence of her company. He had a strong feeling that she felt the same way but had done a much better job of hiding it than he had or so he felt. He looked up to the sky and watched as the sun moved across the sky and the light began to start fading as the sun set. He stood up deciding now was a good time to explore the factory seeing as that’s where he would most likely be spending the night. Dameon pushes the door open and walks inside without hesitation. The place was obviously abandoned and in need or desperate renovations if Suna ever wanted to use it again. It had a very large wide open space like a warehouse but it also had a second floor surrounding it with red metal grate floors and red railings to prevent anyone from accidentally falling out. The machinery inside seemed like pumping equipment alongside other machinery used for creating metal. The water it seemed was the source of the power that ran everything else.

Dameon looks around feeling satisfied with his decision for a place to train and to sleep. Quickly he leaps to the second floor railing and heads toward what seems to be a back office. Upon peering inside he sees a desk and a cot in the corner of the small room. This was perfect. He sat down on the edge of the cot unsure of when his student would be arriving so instead of waiting around he decided now was a good time to catch up on some much needed sleep while he waited. Laying back into the cot he stared at the ceiling and only moments later he fell asleep and began snoring lightly. He was much more exhausted than he had assumed he was and would be out cold unless something or someone were to awaken him. Another hour would pass and the sun was completely gone and the factory and everything outside was now completely black only lit by the faint moonlight and the starry sky.

704WC
585wc from http://www.narutosaga.com/t13519-a-summer-sunset-ask-to-join-no-killing-training
125wc from http://www.narutosaga.com/t13545-splish-splash-and-dash-private-training-invite-only
1,414wc Total

Perception: B-1 to B-2: 1,000WC
414WC remaining

A wisp of smoke lingered in the air until it faded into nothingness. A soft tired sigh broke the silence and its source can be traced back to a blue eyed girl with unruly pale pink hair that blew soft in the wind. Her sharp gaze lingered on a group of children running by on the road below, leaving a trail of small dust clouds in their wake. One of the children saw her perched up on the railing of the inn's balcony and waved to her, a wide grin on his face. She used her free hand that previously supported her and lazily waved back. The child laughed happily and was about to speak but was interrupted by his friends calling out to them. He gave her one last smile before taking off but something caught her eye. She was able to dismiss the glare from the light of the sun to see he had a forehead protector tied loosely around his neck. Her lips parted in slight surprise. The kid couldn't have been more than 10 years old but was a genin. He looked so innocent and pure it was a wonder in and of itself. She swore if he didn't have that he would've passed as any other civilization kid who ran by, never to want horrors awaited him.

The life of a shinobi was cruel and unforgiving even with its merits. She herself was one for a few years albeit being a mere genin who has yet to suffer any tragedy aside from losing a childhood friend to an illness though she has been picking up her slack lately. Still she has been a genin for a few years whereas her peers were already chuunin and so forth much to the chagrin her ever so haughty clansmen who all seemed to have a stick so far up their ass it's a surprised they haven't choked on it. She growled under her breath and took a deep, long drag of her cancer stick before exhaling through her mouth. Just thinking about those snobbish bastards grates on her nerves. To most of her fellow clansmen, she was everything a Kumori wasn't; ungraceful, hotheaded, tainted, weak, and lacking in all the arts. Tch, if anything they were the weak ones. They wouldn't know art if it blew up in their faces. She unlike many in her clan was not afraid to speak up and voice her opinions or admit there was fault in their ways. She didn't care for the conventional notion that woman must cater to their 'superiors' whims whether in bed or taking care of the household. If anything men should be grateful for women since we are the only who know how to take our losses and learn from them. Their male counterparts, and this has been scientifically proven, are slower to rebound after emotional trauma which is just if not more deadlier than any physical wound.

They should take a day to walk in their shoes but of course those who did were mostly perverts who wanted to mess around and trick other girls into doing ridiculous actives with them. If fact she heard a similar occasion occurred a few months ago in the bath houses. Some genin snuck into the girls' side of the hot springs under a henge and was making quite the scene. The whole thing got out of hand when some bandits and slave traders came through. She only heard about that last bit cause she her some relatives talking about it in hushed whispers, their disgust apparent. God she wished she found out who the jerk was so she can wring his skinny little neck. Our pinkette found herself grinning quite viciously as she imagined using the pervert as target practice for her ink weaponry. She got the basics down now all she got's to do is train it.

After a few minutes she found her anger dissipating and she forgot what she was talking about. But when she came to her senses she saw it was sun setting and the sky looked absolutely beautiful as streams of red, orange, yellow, and hints of purple sailed across the sky. Her eyes widen eagerly as she raced off the balcony and tore her room asunder before she found what she needed. Sitting on her knees in a traditional position she grabbed a red and gold scrolls and her different colored inks and began painting vigorously, not wanting to lose her muse. Just as she was putting the finishing touches there was a knock on the door. Without turning her head she glared at whoever she imagined interrupted her sessions and the though of them catching on fire came to mind but sadly she as any Kumori did, lack the ability to use Katon. Maybe...she could blow them up and show them how much you need to respect art hehe. Yet this too was crossed out as her little brother Mure worked hard to get them this room despite her having more than enough money to pay.

With a sigh seeing no other choice she rose to her feet but not before adding chakra to the painting and handing it loosely on the wall. Grabbing the doorknob she breathed deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. Breathe, be calm, don't maim, don't killed. She opened the door and put on a neutral expression as she face a messenger."Yes?" The man seemed to falter a bit for her gaze and shakily handed her a worn envelope "This is for you" She eyed it carefully and without another word to him she slammed the door in his face. She got a kunai and tore it open, quickly reading it over. Her eyes widen a bit and she grinned. She was getting some training from that cute seven swordsman she met in Taki! Wait cute?...ah never mind. Quickly she got dressed in a white long selves shirt, a sleeveless red jacket left unzipped, black short with matching thigh high stockings and red combat boots. Before she left put her forehead protector and necklace over her neck, gloves on each hand, her bandanna which held her shuriken on her right wrist, her kunai in her left boot and pulled her fully stocked satchel over her being before heading out. It took until nightfall for her to reach the abandoned factory and she shivered a bit as she looked around. Perhaps he was inside? With a shrug she summoned all her strength to her left leg and forcefully kicked the door open the bang echoing off the walls. "Yo Sir.Gothica ya here?

1123~

Sleeping was becoming worse and worse lately. The very act of sleeping meant he was in for a bad night. Lately he had constantly been plagued by nightmares and visions of his past that had come to haunt him while he was most vulnerable. The same reoccurring dream of him being tied to a cross while he watched a man in the shadows cut down and kill all those he cared for, loved, and protected, and just as the flame rose high enough under the cross to consume him he would learn the man in the shadows was himself. It was a loss of self-control and the feeling of complete helplessness that caused him to be crucified whenever he slept. Leading to only a few hours of sleep a night and was starting to affect him mentally. He didn’t know what was causing the nightmares either and that bothered him a lot. If he knew he could fix the issue and simply training and working the energy out of him did little no to effect. He assumed this was all being caused by the friends he had that died, disappeared, or left him during and just after the war. Perhaps it was guilt that subconsciously he felt responsible for their situations as they were now. If he had stopped the war sooner and killed the general of the enemy army quicker they would all be at his side now and laughing about it. Why he put so much pressure on himself he did not know.

Dameon would awake from his nap in a cold sweat and breathing heavily from the nightmare. It was immediately after he heard the loud bang of a door being knocked open and then her voice. It was different from anyone else he had encountered. It was both playful and serious yet the tone lovely and seemed to cut through the factory like a warm knife through butter. Something was different about her, different from everyone else he had met or trained or even become friends with. He just didn’t know what made her so different, yet. He rose to his feet and cracked his neck and stretched a bit loosening up as he walked out of the office and his feet making contact with the metal grate floor on the second floor. His footsteps echoed throughout the factory making it unclear where he was walking from. He reached the railing of the wide open part of the room and hopped over landing silently on the ground below. He could see her clearly walking toward him in the darkness, his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, though unsure if hers were as well. He simply stood there his arms crossed comfortably and with a bit of a smile on his face. He watched her and she wore confidence on her like a second skin and she knew it as well making her a very good person to teach. She reminded him in some ways of himself when he was younger.

“I’m glad you could make it Aimi,” Dameon said with a warm smile that stretched across his face. There was little doubt in his mind that he found her attractive. At the same time however he knew he was going to be training her and he wasn’t exactly sure how this was going to work out. He wanted to get to know her better after having met her at the water park in Taki but at the same time he knew she also wanted to be trained. His personalities when it came to doing either one were drastically different. He was always a tough instructor that pushed his student to the limit. Yet he was also a very kind and gentle person when it came to someone he had an interest in. This was going to be new territory for him and he would have to find some magical way to balance the two. Perhaps she would understand and make it easier on him but somehow he figured if she knew that she would make it just as difficult to mess with him. He wasn’t really sure of what else to say at a moment like this. They had only met for the first time a little while ago and now he was in Suna where she was and sent a letter to train her specifically. He was going out on a very wide limb thinking she ever wanted to see him again.

748 WC
1,162 WC Total
Perception B-2 To B-3: 1,125 WC
37WC remaining.

Aimi was curious as to why she even showed up. Yes he offered to train her but she didn’t think he took it seriously. For a moment she wondered if there was some underline purpose to his plans. He might not have seemed like a bad guy but you never know. Having spent most of her life since joining the academy in Chirstio’s Bar, she met her fair share of suspicious characters. Some creepy old men who got a little too touchy feel. Others drug dealers who walked around in suits with a smile. Then there were those who looked so damn innocent you’d swear they could do no wrong even if you stood in front of the murder scene with all evidence pointing to them. Yes Aimi certainly met some…interesting people in her life and it was bound she was going to meet more. It was…fate she guess though she hated the word with her very being. She did not believe in prophecies, destiny, fate, or anything of that stupid shit. She was herself, Aimi of the prestigious Kumori, a great kounoichi in the making. She wasn’t some china doll bound to break or a marionette strung around on a measly stage for others amusement. No she was her own person and she’d be damned if she let anyone think otherwise and try to pull one over her. Especially not after what happen with Takeshi.

God she hated that bastard with every fiber of her being. What happened with Takeshi made the already wayward Kumori worse than she ever been. It taught her more about life than she would ever did before even with what happened to her beloved best friend. She despised the whole deal, if blackmail can even be called that. Inwardly she shivered remembering the thought yet at the same time she can’t help but feel some pleasure after karma got him. Serves that bastard right. Getting herself focus she disregarded those thoughts and focused on the here and now. However as she made her way inside she could feel another chill creep down her spy. Damn the crazy weather. She was severely annoyed at how freaking hot this desert hole was during the day and how drastically things change at night. It pretty much turned into a freezer. In a way, this made her a bit homesick from being away from Konoha for so long even though she has been exchanging letters with her sisters during her time here. Lately they have been asking for some souvenirs to be sent to them along with some pictures but she hasn't really explored that much, especially since she didn't have anyone to do it with. Course don't get her wrong, she didn't necessarily need anyone's companionship but she has learned over time that it did make things more enjoyable. That being said, she hasn't seen much of Mure except when he came back from doing missions and training. They ate and relaxed in the inn, talking about meaningless stuff and little adventures. Perhaps next time she saw him, she'd make sure they'd have some quality time together and visit some places. The museum she has heard about certainly interested the artistic side of her.

Taking a breath as she rubbed her arm to create some heat for herself she adjusted her eyes to the darkness but even so it was hard to see. But a few cloud had moved in the sky and allowed the bright moonlight to illuminate the entire space, well most of it since there were still some dark areas, yet it was enough. She looked around and saw some machinery that was covered in rust, cobwebs, and dust from haven't being used in who knows how long. There were left over parts such as gears in broken crates and what appeared to be oil dripped from a broken pipe in a corner. The factory was in horrible condition but to her it could've been worse. There wasn't much feces from rodents and not all the windows were broken. It had plenty of space seeing as it had around five floors (maybe a basement too) and the walls weren't covered in graffiti which was a pleasant surprise though it wasn't like she was going to have a problem if it did. All in all it seemed to be a decent training area. She would've gone to explore had a voice not broken the silence. She snapped her head to where the voice originated from only to see it was that seven swordsman guy...her soon to be...ugh...sensei. Honestly she dedested that word. Her history with senseis wasn't really that good. In her opnion most teachers were pompus idots that didn't know jack shit on how to teach others but still believed they were all knowing gods. She never got anything done with any of them or with people in general. It was one the main reasons she didn't have a team for long. In fact she heard not too long ago her newest 'team' was disbanded as no one had interest in working with each other. And it was sad considering she didn't totally hate everyone on it but then again it was also liberating.

She didn't enjoy working under someone's orders, preferring to take the role of the leader herself. While some saw it as being cocky or foolhardy, she believe she did have some intellect and skill unlike others. Yes she may not be able to take down a jounin or level an entire training field but she was dangerous in her own right. It was just a matter of pushing her there since she did tend to be a bit of a slacker. Yes she would admit that she sometimes was a tad lazy and could put more effort into applying herself but it was just...troublesome. Plus it wasn't like she didn't try. It just that after awhile she would get frustrated and explode and nothing ever good come from that. So taking this all to account she figured the best way to combat the situation was not to refer him, Dameon wasn't it, as her sensei or think anything of the sort. He was just some guy she hung out with during training. No more no less. Aimi soften her gaze a bit and leaned back putting her hands behind her head as she grinned "You damn straight you'd better be! I don't spare my precious time for nothing. Now you said something about training but I didn't think you were serious 'bout it back in Taki. But hey here we are." She paused and put her hands on her hips as her smile faded into an inquisitive expression "What are we going to be training in anyway? I don't use any swords (or not yet anyway) or have any suiton techniques so that reservoir outside is pretty damn useless."

2311~

“Well I can teach you to use a sword. I cannot teach you in any other element than raiton because I only know one element. What I cannot teach you is to have the will and determination necessary to learn from me. I expect as a trainer for my students to hold up to my level that I was at when I was your rank. I became a Jounin a week after graduating the academy if you need a reference point. I will push you to your absolute limit and make you want to quit, you will have to fight through that. I have been teaching over a year now and not a single student of mine has completed my training sessions. They usually quit, give up, or injure themselves and never show up again. I expect more from you because I see more potential in you than I do any other students I have trained in the past, but we shall see. The way I train is simple. I will attack you and you do everything you can to defend yourself, it will be difficult but I want to see how you react and how you think. After a while I will end that stage to coach and train you on things you could improve on. After that we will fight again to see if you have learned anything. This entire process could take a couple days so don’t think I will end it after only couple hours,” he stated his facial expression not changing and his rigid appearance remaining firm as he explained to her how his training would be conducted. He was glad to see her though but there was a time for work and a time for play. Crossing the two would never work if either one of them wanted to improve.

Dameon walked over to a rack he had set up on the way in there was a bokken there as well as an old katana. He would toss her the bokken and leave the old but sharp katana sitting there. If she wanted to learn anything about swords than she needed to start where everyone else had started and not rush into potential killing weapons. He himself sung his coat out just enough and pulled out his own bokken. Which was much heavier and stronger than hers. It was his training instrument for all of his students. If they acted up, disobeyed, or made a stupid mistake he would smack them with it. It was for this reason the bokken had gotten its name as the ‘Idiot Stick’. He set his coat back in place so it sat naturally around his body. He held the bokken in his right hand only as he paced back and forth and cracked his neck as he waited for her response to his statement and being handed a bokken. He was ready to start as there was little left to say. It all depended on how she wanted to train but either way he was going to use his bokken as anything else he used could possibly kill her. He had designed this bokken specifically so that it didn’t kill the people he was training. However he could break bones easily and cause a lot of internal injury if he felt it necessary to either the training or to a life and death situation.

“If you do not want to learn bukijutsu you are more than welcome to set aside that bokken but either way I will be using mine if not to train you in bukijutsu than to train you in other things or keep you from making mistakes,” he stated as he stopped his pacing and expecting some sort of response from here such as if she indeed wanted to learn bukijutsu or focus on something else. This would be the only time she would have the ability to decide and make up her mind. After they started they would not finish for a great amount of time. She seemed capable and they had…hit it off for lack of a better term in Taki but he wasn’t into women that were unable to handle themselves. He brought up his bokken into a read position and waited to see if she would mimic him and his balanced stance that he took. If she said nothing just her copying his basic stance would give him the answer he was looking for. At least to some extent.

He was reminded of his past students. Well over ten that he had trained and they were now not only gone but has not been able to complete his training requirements. It was a little upsetting but it was also to be expected of him. He held incredibly high standards and he often had considered whether or not he was too harsh. He had come to the conclusion it was not himself that was potentially too harsh especially after having seen first-hand what the mizukage had expectations of. He had almost died in a training and test scenario even at his level. Now he not only wanted to improve himself he wanted to improve others to be able to handle that same amount of stress and be just as battle ready. Now he was in Suna and has just discovered that he had a group of people that were following him and observing him.

902wc

Aimi listened carefully to the swordsman's words. While this didn't sound too bad it didn't sound great either. But don't get her wrong she didn't have too much a problem with him, in fact she respected him. Despite how odd he was when they first met, he displayed a level of skill that one couldn't just make up on the spot. Though the issue with him getting rid of those guards....well she has been known to hold some sort of a grudge. No it wouldn't mean that she will refuse to learn from him, merely it would cause her to look at him a little more skeptically. Although she detected no lies from him, the stark contrast between Dameon Shikiyo, a young solider who gets a little fumbled around the opposite sex and Dameon of the Seven Swordsman was a bit startling. His change in attitude was quick and he seemed like another person all together. But then again, it wasn't like she knew him, like really knew him. She knew him from his reputation as a soldier not as a person. And it made her wonder, just what kind of person he was? Perhaps...in time, she will find out.

But now for the task at hand. Why did she tell him about his past students? Was it to show off or to deter her? If anything it just got her blood pumping. She always loved a good challenge. Where other's failed she shall succeed. At least that's she told herself. "So this is pretty plain and simple, most things are anyway. Though variety is the spice of life. And your past students couldn't complete it? If they are still alive they aren't weak but merely saw that you didn't suit them and so they went to find someone who did. I know that first hand. Not everyone needs a teacher nor a team. Sometimes we need to face our inner demons before we fight the forces outside" Aimi grinned, remembering her cousins. They too were isolated like her and had a tough time finding a decent sensei who connected with them. Perhaps Dameon will be Mr. Right for her. If not, well after she completed his course she'll move on. Kicking a piece of rubble away she continued where she left off "A broken bone or two won't kill me. It'll hurt like a damn bitch but I'll live. Besides we aren't here to have tea parties or do I need to call my sisters for you? I'm sure they would love to meet a pirate, albeit a shady one." When he walked over to the makeshift armory she couldn't help but have her gaze linger on the katana for a bit. No it wasn't cause she wanted to start with it, she knew better to duel with a sword without learning anything. Rather she was analyzing the craftsmanship. From the looks of it it was once a proud blade but ravaged by the sands of time. However it had nothing on her relative's work. A part of her family specialized in weaponry and by extension were excellent blacksmiths. Maybe if Dameon ever came to Konoha he could have his blades sharpened by them, she certainly knew they would love it, to be able to inspect such wonderful blades.

Aimi grinned well more like smirked as she caught the bokken in her hands and for a moment a rush of familiarity rushed through her. It wasn't the first time she held a bokken but it was for the first time in years. As a child, her mother was quite persistent in making her into a fine lady, a bride to be. Back then, she was a little more open to wearing kimonos and make up though after the incident when her sisters had gotten kidnapped she changed; and she wasn't the only one. Those were...not the happiest of times. She lost family and her father, she couldn't look in the  eye without remember the blood stained sword he hand in his hand, his face void of emotion yet his eyes, kami his eyes were so pained and yet there was something else there. She didn't know what it was but it unsettled her nonetheless. However she still had somewhat of a soft spot for her father and so she tried to cheer him up in the only way she knew how, through art; specifically the art of sword dancing. Her performance while lacking in technique and wasn't quite refinement it relieved the tension, at least a bit.

Taking a slight breath she took one step back and held the bokken to right on her hip, her right hand acting as a holster and her left hand on the handle in a read stance. Her back was straight and her knees were slightly bent so she can move back or charge at the latest; her shoulders at an angle so the left was in front and the right a little back. Exhaling softly she open her eyes that blazed with determination. "No kenjutsu is fine. If anything this goes well with a jutsu I'm working on that works well with my kekkei genkai. Why shop for a blade when you can make one yourself?" She chuckled lightly. "As for the elemental manipulation it's good I have Raiton or we will be out of luck there. And Dameon by the way, since we're going to be working together for now why don't you tell me how you worked your way from being a lowly genin like myself to becoming a jounin in such a short amount of time. And don't leave out the gory parts" With the final words she bent down a bit and charged forward, smirking as she  'unsheathed her blade' and made a downward arc towards his right shoulder then backing up at the last moment to to reverse her grip and aim toward the left side of his torso.

3336~

Dameon stood there his bokken in his right arm listening to her as she tried to rationalize everything he had just told her but her rationalizations were far from the truth. He wouldn’t take a traditional stance because he almost never used one, so using one would almost be an insult to her. Besides this training was not about how he handled a sword but how she handled one and that was really all that actually mattered. It was odd, between the way she dressed and her hair she looked a lot like someone he used to know and he wondered if that’s why he had taken such a keen interest in her. One thing he knew he liked was her free spirit and her attitude. Some people might not enjoy it but it was something he found quite appealing. "So this is pretty plain and simple, most things are anyway. Though variety is the spice of life. And your past students couldn't complete it? If they are still alive they aren't weak but merely saw that you didn't suit them and so they went to find someone who did. I know that first hand. Not everyone needs a teacher nor a team. Sometimes we need to face our inner demons before we fight the forces outside"

“Well , none of them actually went to find another instructor they stopped being shinobi altogether. I suspect that is the main reason the Mizukage does not let me have squads anymore but instead select talented individuals. You will also come to realize that fighting your inner demons sometimes means fighting the forces outside rather than locking yourself up in your head trying to simplify things. If your sisters are half the person you are I am sure I would love to meet them,” he ended teasingly as a smile crossed his face. As she prepared her stance he stood there his bokken still extended out with his right hand leaving him oddly open. He didn’t think at least for the first couple minutes that it would be wise to try and block her bokken. The force he blocked and sung with often tended to knock people back and that was not so much due to his own strength but rather the strength of his weapon. His bokken was strong enough to crush peoples bones into dust should he truly need to but he almost explicitly used it for training.

“Ah I see this isn’t something entirely new to you, that is good. It means I will expect even more. Just remember to be slow not fast. When you learn and trying to learn and fight quickly you overlook obvious things and wind up in trouble. Be slow because once you are familiar you will realize that slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. It is far better to know what you are doing mentally before your body ever performs this. Nothing will ever be as fast as your mind once you are trained as well as you can be.” He stated adding words of advice. He could tell by her stance alone so much that an untrained eye would not be able to understand. He would have to instruct her on this as well. Simply by which leg she had forward, her balance, and lastly her eyes he could weigh the odds of her attacking a certain way. Probability and statistics of opening attacks he found were usually more accurate than not once you had enough time to analyze. It was a big reason why he was still alive today even after such a hard fought war.

"As for the elemental manipulation it's good I have Raiton or we will be out of luck there. And Dameon by the way, since we're going to be working together for now why don't you tell me how you worked your way from being a lowly genin like myself to becoming a jounin in such a short amount of time. And don't leave out the gory parts", this was particularly surprising to him. Nobody had really asked him before had he ranked up so quickly. It was an interesting question but the answer would require much more explanation than he wanted to say during a training spar. Perhaps he would amuse her with the answer later, but for now he needed her focused because she did not realize yet just how demanding this training would actually be. She was focused on other things as she prepared to attack she needed to be in the right mind. He would make his students need for survival show so that they could truly be there best. The brink of their death is when everyone preformed their best so he would do his best to simulate such a scenario. He just had to try and do this without breaking any of her bones; it would be a new challenge for him.

Dameon smirked seeing her attack and knew the pattern all too well as it was a common opener for an attack. He was actually surprised that she had been bold enough to attack him first, someone who was used to weighing the odds were more likely to try and defend but perhaps she knew there was no point in doing either so why not attack? Their skill levels were so different that it truly didn’t matter because her odds were at zero for success. The vertical attack came down and he simply turned his body to the side watching the bokken miss in front of his torso. He swung his right arm forward exposing his elbow as he swung at toward her overly exposed face. It wouldn’t be a hard attack but enough to hopefully wake her up.

“First, get your head in the game. Stop worrying about the past and focus on the present and future. You were alive then but there is no guarantee you will be alive in the next hour. Second, never go for an attack that isn’t on a balanced plane of attack unless you can accurately predict your opponent’s movements. If you go too high you lose balance, and if you go too low you lose balance. Keep your feet firm and planted as much as possible use your eyes not your legs and shoulders. Use your eyes and your instincts will kick in and move the blade to protect yourself, instinct wont attack for you but those are the moments you have to weigh the odds, 'can ‘ successfully hit him now?’, if so go for it with all you have, not a mix of both. Do not die regretting you had done something different. As for my past, perhaps I will tell you if you can manage to hit me,” he said instructing her as he stepped off of the bokken and walked back another ten or so paces and turned back around. In the same stance he had previously.

1185WC
2,085wc total

“Ah I see this isn’t something entirely new to you, that is good. It means I will expect even more. Just remember to be slow not fast. When you learn and trying to learn and fight quickly you overlook obvious things and wind up in trouble. Be slow because once you are familiar you will realize that slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. It is far better to know what you are doing mentally before your body ever performs this. Nothing will ever be as fast as your mind once you are trained as well as you can be.”

Aimi narrowed her eyes at at the swordsman's form. While a bit of warming pride swelled inside her chest at the prospect of an even more intensive training regimen, she wondered why she even cared. She has long since given up on impressing others when she should be doing it to herself, soaring to new heights. It's what kept her from threat of depression when reality slapped in the face that her father will never recognize her as more than an undisciplined hooligan. Dameon was nothing like her father however. Yes he was stern but so were others and he saw her more than an ant to his boot, someone worthy of his schooling. Perhaps this really will be a good experience for her but then again, his words made it seem like this training wasn't going to be a simple spar chat and leave only to see each other again some other time but rather one-on-one. Was her time away from her beloved Konoha going to be longer than she expected? Yes she didn't have a set time she'd return but she wasn't going to lie and say she didn't miss her sisters and friends at the bar. Was she willing to put that aside, her duties and life, in pursuit of power and advancing her skills?

But that was a question for another time apparently as the pinkette saw the swordsman smirk, an action which grated her nerves. How dare he?! So what if her attack wasn't that impressive? It wasn't like there was much she could do. While his muscle mass didn't highlight strength it did serve its purpose for enhancing agility. It didn't help that his speed as a Shikyo was fearsome battle reports aside! Her temper went from a sizzle to a boil quickly. Was he amused by this? Apparently so but the question stood, what amused him? Her stance, her attack, her determination, or this whole thing together. The last one struck a cord in her mind. There was and always is someone to play and someone to get played. That a shinobi or rather anyone for that matter must always look underneath the underneath, a basic lesson taught to all who enter their country's military forces. Trust was something so hard to master as it can very well easily be your downfall. Her father always said that a friend is more dangerous than an enemy because they can stab you in the back when your guard is down.

Evidently it seemed he was taking this, and by extension her, seriously. Not quite surprised when he dodged but rather the follow up. "Kami that hurt like a bitch" she mumbled softly to herself under her breath. Aimi took a few steps back but made sure her grip on the bokken was firm. After listening to his little lecture, Dameon hopped off it and she took it as a momentary breather as she tried to organize her thoughts as she didn't quite understand what he was saying at first. As she twitched her nose to try to understand the level of injury, she was slightly surprised it was only heavily bruised but not broken though she was glad nonetheless. Okay so I need to find a middle ground, my center of gravity and work around that. Start slow and easy then kick it up a notch once I see a pattern. But as a moment passed she couldn't help but feel that she really wanted to kick his ass. Taking the bokken in both had she held went at 70% her full speed which was still pretty slow and held in it a reserve grip as she made a move for the left side of his waste only to change it to aim for his upper rib cage on his right.

4089~
Trained: Ribinguāto: Heiki (3750/3750)
Remaining: 339

“If you make the same mistake twice I usually turn up the pain. A broken nose is probably the least thing you have to worry about. So keep that in mind. Today is a crash course I am going to correct the most obvious and worst of your mistakes right away so you learn the moment you make them. It may sound like it is not that bad but think about it; you make a mistake like that in the field you will die. So I will simulate the enemy minus killing you…hopefully…probably,” he said with an uncertain tone at the end remember his past students and knowing his track record wasn’t exactly clean. As she stepped back holding her nose still and swearing he couldn’t help but smile at her colorful language. She wasn’t one to hide what she was thinking or feeling and he liked I because he was not good with such things either. She prepped her next move as she got back into her stance and he could tell that at least now she was ready to get serious he couldn’t help but smirk again as he took his own stance. He watched her approach with the attack which was a fine attack but halfway through she turned her wrists to switch and attack from the other side. That would not work the bokken itself would half to cross his plane of vision to do an attack from the opposite side and it would be the dull side leading. He would move forward taking advantage of her loss of momentum from changing the attack mid-flight and grab her wrist with his left hand. He would use his right leg to sweep up under her to send her crashing into the ground, not with force but with a purpose.

“You started out great a non-hesitant strike with a purpose and halfway through it you change directions to the complete opposite side and expect that strike to still deal enough damage to kill your opponent,” he gripped his sword and walked over to the metal pillar close to them by the window. [b]“Now watch, each attack of mine will be for the same exact amount of force,” he said raising his bokken. “Vertical,” he struck down at the metal pillar vertically the sound of the two objects meeting so loud it could scare anyone unaware to death. ”Horizontal,”he swung again from the right side clashing with the pillar for the same exact sound. ”What you did,” he said attacking the same way she had if it had landed. The sound it made while still loud was drastically lower than the other two. He turned around and walked back toward her and stood in front of her yet again.

”I also need you to take note that if you want to blame your results on my speed or agility you need to know that I am moving no faster than what you are capable of. Besides you have only seen me move as fast as a special jounin, and yes I mean that day at the water park. I am more than certain you can do the math on what that means. Anyways back to the basics. Stick to vertical and horizontal strikes. Get a few of them down and we will start to work on your defending,” he stated as he took his stance again a few paces from her and awaited to see exactly what she would do and how she would react to everything he had said and taught her so far. He knew she was strong enough but he needed her to be more than physically and mentally strong he needed her to adapt, think, and learn. It is not something that comes easy to one so headstrong, he would know.

“Remember slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Muscle memory goes a long way when you are dealing with an opponent who may be stronger than you. Now hit me.”

2.750wc Total

Endurance: D~C (2,127 Word Count)

623wc remaining.

“If you make the same mistake twice I usually turn up the pain. A broken nose is probably the least thing you have to worry about. So keep that in mind. Today is a crash course I am going to correct the most obvious and worst of your mistakes right away so you learn the moment you make them. It may sound like it is not that bad but think about it; you make a mistake like that in the field you will die. So I will simulate the enemy minus killing you…hopefully…probably,” Her gaze sharped like a kunai because as he spoke his voice had an indistinguishable uncertain tone about it that didn't quite sit well with our stray leaf. Aimi rolled her eyes at the threat, if it can even be considered one. He didn't seem like the type to mess with her feelings only to kill her later once she no longer serves whatever purpose he had in mind. As naive and distasteful as it may seem, she trusted him, if only a tad. Though she stood by her rules. She didn't quite share others sentiments on the saying "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" as she knew that her enemies were more predictable, more honest than her friends. While her enemies faced her directly from a distance, a 'friend' could get into your inner circle, betray your trust as they abuse the knowledge of your darkest secrets and stab you in the back before you'd even notice this. Yet for this matter, she didn't know where Dameon stood...or rather where they stood in general. They aren't enemies for sure, not rivals or companions. Heck they weren't even friend as they hardly knew a thing about each in the two days they knew each other.

A loud bang broke her away from her personal monologue and a pair of thin rosy pink eyebrows scrunched together as she pieced together what was going on. It took her a half a minute to understand and she could help but tense at the next bang along it wasn't as loud or the same tone as the other. The first made her cringe, her grip on the bokken tightening to the point they turn a little white and her heart sped up like butterflies becoming humming birds. The next strike on the other hand was definitely....weaker for the lack of a better tone. What that was I doing earlier? I thought the use of slight misdirection would be a good idea but it just backfired at me... Seeing the logic in his actions she did as told and walked up to the metal pillar, confident she can get it done by midnight. Aimi swung from the right side clashing with the pillar hoping for the same exact sound yet although she did it slowly but surely with as much strength she could muster her strike was not as smooth as it could've been and a vibrating sensation crawled up her arm, making her grip falter a tad. Narrowing her eyes a bit at her frustration she stopped, took a step back and did a quick breathing exercise to calm her nerves. The last thing she needed was to starting swearing like a sailor for not producing the same results as Dameon. Tch I'll get it eventually...though I'd rather it would be sooner than later. She continued the exercise till eventually she got the horizontal part down which took around ten minutes. It took her another ten minuets to complete it vertically which was surprising harder since she had to kept her stance firm when dealing with the shock of rebound and moving her muscles in her shoulder blades incorrectly; a painful but important lesson. Once she was confident she made smooth strokes, despite being very, oh so dreadful slower than she would've liked, were clean producing a decent sound. Placing the bokken between her thighs she quickly strength her torso and biceps before placing the wooden sword back in her hand yet she wondered. "Why are you in Suna and not in Kiri? You owe me nothing unlike I do to you? Don't you have more important business in Kiri as not only a Seven Swordsman but as a Sannin? No doubt this is an appreciated learning experience dude but it'll won't do me any good if I head back to Konoha or stay here as you will eventually have to resume your duties"

1104~

“Interesting. I asked you to hit me and you starting bashing the structure of the building as if you wanted to collapse the building on top of us. Well either way it looks like you learned what you needed to learn. For your sake, I am glad you decided not to attack me when you were unsure of yourself because that will get you killed more than any mechanical mistake. Mental integrity is the key to winning tough battles. Now seeing as you can hardly hold the bokken enough for you to properly defend at the moment perhaps we can take a five or so minute break,” he stated as he rested his bokken across his shoulder blades as he leaned against the wall using his hands to hold the wooden sword up. He looked at her as she asked him yet another series of questions. Questions he had been wondering himself. He knew why he was in Suna but he didn’t know why he had decided to train her. He had a good idea of why but it just produced even more questions, even to himself. He looked at the ground still a more serious expression on his face. He always had to change his personality when training or fighting these days. The war had done a lot to him and when it came to fighting or training to him it was no laughing matter. He would switch gears and become someone more serious and confident, but when he was just out and about he had a tendency to be more lazy, shy, and an overall awkward goof ball.

”I am still on vacation at the moment. I suspect they will need me soon. However since coming to Suna I learned some important information that may need to be dealt with first. As for training you it is kind of silly. I just kind of liked you and your personality and you seemed like someone that could stand to be around me long enough for me to train properly,” he said while steering his head kind of away from her to avoid her eyes as he scratched the back of his neck over the branded scar of his clan awkwardly. He felt kind of weird and embarrassed for having admitted something so foolish especially to his student and to someone he needed to get back to being serious with in just a couple more minutes. He still stood there as he cleared his throat feeling his face grow a little red as he thought about everything he had said. He tried to cover up his embarrassment with a bit of a smile as he looked outside through the large glass windows at the full moon. He pushed himself off the wall and walked across the center of the area they had been working out in. He needed to collect himself as looked at the moon. The same moon that tended to haunt him no matter where he went a constant reminder of the war.

”As for your question earlier,” he said sitting against the concrete wall and placing the bokken next to him. ”I had the misfortune of growing up at a bad time. I was exiled from my clan’s town when I was seven and I walked for two years from the far reaches of kumo to the shores of fire country where kiri shinobi found me and took me in as an orphan in their country. For two years I fought wolves, bears, snakes, anything that wanted to kill me. I still have scars just from the bite marks. I grew up in the village on my own fending for myself and with no guidance or help. I graduated ahead of my class because I had nothing to do but practice. I was made a genin and a day later war broke out. Seven Bells who had a grudge with our village and Mizukage attacked with an army of both puppets and mercenaries. These mercenaries were…devoted to his ideals. They didn’t care about money they died in droves to injure one man, a kind of ferocity and sense of self-sacrifice a lot of us had never seen and it caught us off guard. I was paired with other genin and as our numbers dwindled we needed to accomplish important tasks. These tasks were given to whoever were the strongest at the time because so many of our higher ranked shinobi died fighting seven bells or his closest allies. I was sent on numerous suicide missions. A genin being sent on B ranked missions solo. Even A ranked at times. However because of my upbringing I had little care for my life. I felt like I was just another disposable weapon. So each time I was sent to my death I accepted it prepared for it and was never afraid of it, but I wouldn’t give the enemy the satisfaction of killing me so easily. Bit by bit I won killing jounin, droves of chuunin. My body count in the war totaling into the lower thousands. All of this in a week. A week of constant fighting with no sleep or rest. In an attempt to rally the village and brighten the spirits of our shinobi the Mizukage resurrected the Seven Swordsmen and I was chosen amongst them shortly after my promotion to Jounin,” he said still explaining to her the general description of what had happened and trying not to go into details as much as he could. Those details still affected him to this day or at least some of them did.

”During this time I had also fallen in love with a beautiful shinobi with long pink hair from Suna. She was a medical ninja and was quite good at seemingly bringing me back from the dead and keeping me alive. We loved each other and vowed to be together even after the war. So finally I had something worth living for, she had broken my shell of my self-doubt and managed to even get me to talk more than just a few sentences at a time. Then the Mizukage ordered an attack on Seven Bells directly using the full force of the Seven Swordsman, which at the time was only four of us. My job was to provide support and use my speed to keep him off balance or unfocused as our more heavy hitters at the time tried to find or do damage to him whenever they saw an opening. However he knew we were coming and we were hilariously outgunned. All of us were beaten down. Gin needed time to prepare a jutsu for the others to escape. I needed to buy her that time so I charged in fighting Seven Bells alone for a whole five minutes using every once of power I had left to get them out alive. Finally I couldn’t hold out any longer and I was send flying through a few trees or so I was told. I don’t recall most of it because I ended up in a coma for nearly a week. When I came to the war was over and the person I had fallen for had left me, hadn’t even visited me in the hospital, or checked to see if I was alive. Furthermore I learned that I was on that battlefield for a full day before they had even come to look for me. I felt betrayed by some of them for just assuming I had died. So I ended up regressing back into my old self for a while. I try to feel different and a couple others have helped me feel like I am more than just a weapon but I still feel it sometimes. A sannin of the village mentored me a bit and while on a mission helped me out a lot. I was then asked to meet the Mizukage in person. Upon meeting her I was challenged. Challenged to survive against her for as long as possible. I not only lasted I even managed to hurt the Mizukage to some extent but I also couldn’t move anymore. It was then that she made me a sannin and welcomed me like a member of her family. I have grown stronger by leaps and bounds since then. It is what is going to happen next that worries me,” he stated from his seat on the wall as he looked out at the moon. He wondered if she had grown tired of his talking by now, though he imagined that she had.

”So anyways. You wanted to know how I became a Jounin in a week. I risked my life, and my future to secure a goal I didn’t even know I wanted. I feel like I am bound now to this life and anyone who tries to get involved with me is just bound to leave me or die along the way. At least that’s the pattern anyways. Giving it your all means a lot more than one would think,” he said standing up grabbing his bokken.

1518wc

2141wc total

[Exit Thread]